Tales from the fishbowl
by devilwentdown
Summary: A/C au with conor and others (better than it sounds! i think anyway!)
1. Default Chapter

A.N-Total AU as far as I'm concerned this is just before season three finale but Cordelia and Angel are together. Conor is being a good boy, Wesley is with Lilah and Gunn and Fred are a happy, happy couple. There's not going to be any Wesley in this story, sorry to any of his fans. Fred and Gunn are in it but as a background not centred around them. Mainly A/C. Any suggestions/Flames are welcome but if you can't be nice them be constructive! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ The hotel was silent. It was 5 am and every one was asleep. An old woman appeared in the lobby. She floated up the stairs to the bedrooms. She had grey hair and her face was lined with knowledge, wisdom and age. She looked in at Conor sound asleep in a bare room. She smiled and floated to Angel's door. He was asleep, curled up in bed with Cordelia a content smile on his face. The woman picked up Cordelia's bag and extracted a red lipstick. She opened it and began to write on the wall. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Cordelia woke with a start and looked at Angel's watch. It was eight am, she sighed, time to get Conor up and out of the hotel for school in half an hour. She picked up Angel's arm and lifted it off of her. He groaned and put it around her again. 'I have to get Conor up for school. Why don't you stay here and I'll be back in half an hour and then we can stay here all day long.' 'Promise?' he asked groggily 'Promise, cross my heart.' She got out of bed and pulled on her dressing gown. She spent so much time here now she might as well not have an apartment but she didn't want to tell Dennis that she was leaving. She stretched out as she walked across the room and then she caught site of the wall. 'You are chosen to protect her. Please care for her. She will arrive shortly' 'Sweetie have you been writing on the wall?' 'No. why?' his voice was muffled by the quilt he had over his head. 'Apparently one of us is chosen to protect and care for some girl.'' Angel sat up straight and read the wall. Cordelia had never seen him get up so fast in her life. 'Oh no. no. no. This cannot be happening I'm not ready for this.' 'Will you please tell me what's going on?' 'Okay so years ago I knew this demon Maeve, she's a Diograis. They're like the catalyst for everything, they inspire and influence everyone they meet. They live for around five hundred years but sixteen years before they die they have one child. When they are about to die they choose someone to care for their child until the child is twenty one, that's when they get their powers until then they're human. We just got chosen.' 'Is this a good or bad thing?' 'Good but with a lot of responsibility. I didn't even know that Maeve was considering me to care her kid. I mean it's not like I'm ready for this responsibility.' Angel was babbling. 'Look we'll sort this out we've been through worse.' Cordelia sat down on the bed and wrapped her arms around Angel 'It'll all be okay, babe. We're responsible people we can cope with this.' She looked at the clock. Eight thirty-five flashed up in big neon numbers. 'Shit Conor's late for school.' She ran out of the room shouting for Conor to get up and out as fast as possible. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Conor ran to school. It was almost nine o' clock. He was so going to get a detention for being late. He slowed down when he got to the school entrance. Caoimhe Ross (pronounced- Qweevah) was standing inside the gate. She was a cheerleader, popular and a junior who took the names of the late comers for the principle. He hated her, she had already caught him three times this year and he'd only been in school for two weeks. His father had enrolled him as a junior in the local high school, it was okay but he didn't really get a long with a lot of people. He used Cordelia's last name because Conor Angel just sounded dumb. 'Late again Conor Chase. Looks like yet another detention for you.' She smiled at the captain of the football team Kyle Carter as he passed them even later than Conor had been. 'Caoimhe you wouldn't over look this would you? I slept in.' 'Of course I will Kyle. What are friends for?' Kyle headed into school. 'Okay this is so unfair you let him off because he's captain of the football team.' Conor protested 'And he hot, you're not so you'd better start coming to school on time.' She smiled sweetly and headed inside to the principle's office. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 


	2. 2

Conor was in a foul mood by the time he got back to the hotel that evening.  
  
He was starving. Cordelia had forgotten to give him money for lunch, he had gotten a warning about his repeated lateness from the principle and he had an English essay on the imagery used in Shakespeare's Macbeth due tomorrow. His life sucked. He walked in the main entrance and dumped his bag by the door. No one was in the lobby. 'Hello? Where is everyone? I got detention that's why I'm late.' He headed into the kitchen behind the office. Sitting at his kitchen table was Caoimhe. 'What are you doing in my kitchen?' 'Eating my dinner.' 'Okay why are eating your dinner in my kitchen?' 'I live here now. I moved in this afternoon.' 'DAD, CORDELIA GET DOWN HERE!' Conor yelled. 'They all went out to kill a nest of vampires. They should be back soon.' She calmly continued to eat her pizza. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
'What do you mean that she is moving in here?' Conor was mad they hadn't told him. 'Her mother died and so she's going to live with us. End of story.' Angel realised that it was hard on Conor having a new person move in but he was overreacting a little bit. 'What about the fact that you're a vampire and Cordelia is part demon won't she have a problem with that?' Caoimhe walked in from the kitchen where she had been eavesdropping on the conversation. 'I'm a Diograis demon so no it doesn't bother me living with other demons.' 'Do people in school know what you are?' 'No of course not. They just think I'm a particularly gorgeous cheerleader. On the subject of school you are not to even dare talk to me in the halls. I don't want people to know that we live together.' Angel slipped out of the lobby leaving them to argue over what they said in school. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
He walked up to his room where Cordelia was lying on the bed. 'Are they still arguing?' she inquired. 'Yeah now over what they say in school. You know she reminds me of you when you were in high school.' Cordelia threw a pillow at him. 'Sorry sorry.' he apologised laughing. 'It must be a little weird for him though. She has been reporting every time he's been late this year.' 'Well at least now she can make sure that he gets to school on time and you can stay in bed with me.' 'We'll have to work out some house rules so that things don't descend into anarchy.' 'How about we do that later on and we have a little rest now?' 'I think I can be persuaded...' ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
'Okay so we are agreed. In school we ignore one another but if you come in late I don't report you to the principle. If I bring friends over you be polite to them.' Caoimhe sat at the desk making out a contract. 'I'll pretend that I don't know you at school but if I want to be introduced to anyone in school you do it and you only say good things about me to people.' Conor bargained back. 'If I have a party you get to come but I get to veto any people you invite and it is my party not yours.' 'If I have to do weapons training you are responsible for making sure that your friends don't see or cop on that there is anything odd about this hotel.' 'Right let's sign this contract.' ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Angel and Cordelia came downstairs and saw Caoimhe and Conor signing their contract. 'Right you two we have some house rules to stop things getting out of hand.' Cordelia made the announcement. She and Angel had drawn them up. They were pretty fair but she knew that if she was sixteen again they wouldn't seem fair to her. '1. No friends over without calling first and checking if all is clear. 2. Curfew is eleven o' clock unless you are accompanied by one of us. 3. No magic is to be used inside the hotel. 4. No fighting. 5. No taking weapons from the press without permission. 6. No talking to anyone from Wolfram and Hart. 7. You both must do all your homework before you go out in the evening.' 'You cannot be serious about that curfew!' Caoimhe exclaimed 'My mom used to let me stay out as late as I liked.' 'You guys used to let me go hunting at night. Why the sudden ban?' Conor joined in. 'Well now there's two of you and we have to keep you both safe and if we let you out you'll just end up in trouble.' Angel tried to justify his rule about the curfew. 'You guys are so unfair!' Caoimhe ran upstairs to her room. 'Ditto.' Yelled Conor as he followed her lead. This was going to be fun, Angel thought to himself. 'Caoimhe seems to be taking her mom's death pretty well, she doesn't even seem a little upset.' Cordelia was a little worried about her. 'She's been prepared for it since she was born. Every Diograis is.' Angel wrapped his arms around his seer. 'We didn't even get to tell them about the extra classes we signed them both up for!' ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Conor stomach rumbled. He hadn't eaten yet today and he was hungry. Caoimhe had gotten him out of bed and into school for twenty past eight this morning. He had actually arrived in the school in time to hear the first bell and the morning announcements from the principle. He didn't like this new living arrangement at all. He started rooting in his bag for some change for the vending machines sand found a sandwich and an apple. She had made him lunch. Maybe this could work he thought biting into the sandwich. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 


	3. 3

By the time Caoimhe got through cheerleading practice her nerves were wearing thin. She had to go home and start her extra classes at the hotel. Angel had decided that she had to learn to speak French and German as well as doing weapons training. Her mother had already taught her most of the demon dialects and she was studying Spanish in school. The only consolation was that Conor was being forced to learn with her. It was going to be their first family bonding activity together. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Angel had spent the entire day making out verb tables for Conor and Caoimhe he was determined that they would both be able to be multilingual. The advantage of being a vampire was that he had a long time to learn a lot of languages especially when he was the scourge of Europe. He was looking forward to teaching them. He hummed to himself as he wrote out some more notes. Cordelia stood and watched him, his forehead creased in concentration. He was so determined to make life better for Conor and to ensure that Caoimhe was okay. She knew that they would not be happy about all these extra lessons but she kept her mouth shut. Angel needed to learn it for himself. She sighed and walked up the stairs to the old room on the third floor that they had found when the slugs had appeared. She was slowly converting it to a proper room. She had Angel pull up the floor boards covering the pool. It was all in fairly good condition, just needed a little decorating job and she'd have a nice place for a party. Maybe they'd do something for Christmas. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 


	4. 4

Conor walked home alone, his bag thrown over his shoulder. He saw Caoimhe pull up to the hotel just before him in Kyle's car. Kyle's car roared away and Conor yelled for Caoimhe to wait up. 'Hey are you actually going to do all these extra classes that my dad has planned?' 'Yeah I have to. I'm not going to be able to travel that much if I can't speak a few languages. Plus I know Latin and that's the basis for most modern European languages. Why are you trying to get out of it?' she stood on the steps of the hotel, waiting for him. 'Yeah I don't want to learn all this stuff. I've got better things to do.' 'Yeah like what? Go kill some vampires? Or other varying demon things?' 'It's fun.' He defended himself. 'Why don't you go out and have some fun with your friends. I am presuming that you've made some in the what sixteen years you've been alive.' 'Actually I'm not even a year old yet.' Conor had the upper hand. 'Don't be ridiculous.' 'I'm not I was born eleven months ago, then when I was two months old I was taken to Quortath and that's why I aged so quickly. Ha ha.' He had to add in the smug laugh. 'I so don't believe you. Who took you to that place?' 'Touchy subject we don't mention it but seriously ask Cordelia when I was born. She'll tell you I'm telling you the truth.' Conor pushed open the door of the hotel and Caoimhe followed him inside. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Caoimhe hated it when she was wrong, not that she was going to mention that to Conor. She sighed as Angel stood in front of them trying to explain to them how to speak French not very well. 'Well if you know the verbs everything will fall into place.' Ang4el tried to explain it. 'How did you learn it?' inquired Conor with a sigh. 'Well I was in France and your mother taught me I suppose but I just kinda picked it up.' Angel sat down and started thinking. Caoimhe rooted in her handbag for her purple nail polish if Angel was just going to sit there and think she was going to touch up her nails. 'Okay so maybe me teaching you two wasn't such a good idea but don't tell Cordelia. But while I can't teach you two other languages I can teach you to fight.' Angel looked proud of himself. Conor jumped up he was good at training. Caoimhe sighed she wasn't. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
Caoimhe put the final touches on her make up. Kyle was coming over to pick her up they were going to a party. She stood up and admired her outfit, a short purple skirt and a tight back corset style top teamed with black knee high boots. She put a thick layer of gloss over her lips and scrunched up he now curly hair. She looked good. She heard Conor yelling that Kyle was there. She sat down again and waited five minutes, she couldn't be ready too early.  
  
Downstairs Kyle was wishing that she'd hurry up. There was an intimidating black guy staring at him while he played with a cross bow. Angel approached Kyle sharpening a sword. 'So you are taking Caoimhe out tonight?' he questioned. 'Yes sir.' 'Well then I am Mr. Angel and I have a few rules that you will obey.' 'Yes sir.' Kyle was terrified this guy looked like he could and would kill him.  
  
'1.You do not touch Caoimhe in front of me. You may glance at her, so long as you do not peer at anything below her neck. If you cannot keep your eyes or hands off of her body, I will remove them.'  
  
Kyle laughed nervously 'You're kidding right?'  
  
Angel gave him a disdainful look and continued. '2. I am aware that it is considered fashionable for boys of your age to wear their trousers so loosely that they appear to be falling off their hips. Please don't take this as an insult, but you and all of your friends are complete idiots. Still, I want to be fair and open minded about this issue, so I propose this compromise: You may come to the door with your underwear showing and your pants ten sizes to big, and I will not object. However, in order to ensure that your clothes do not, in fact come off during the course of you date with Caoimhe, I will take my electric nail gun and fasten your trousers securely in place to your waist  
  
3. I'm sure you've been told that in today's world, sex without utilizing a "Barrier method" of some kind can kill you. Let me elaborate, when it comes to sex, I am the barrier, and I will kill you.  
  
4. It is usually understood that in order for us to get to know each other, we should talk about sports, politics, and other issues of the day.  
  
Please do not do this. The only information I require from you is an indication of when you expect to have Caoimhe safely back at my house, and the only word I need from you on this subject is: "early"  
  
5. I have no doubt you are a popular fellow, with many opportunities to date other girls. This is fine with me as long as it is okay with Caoimhe. Otherwise, once you have gone out with my little girl, you will continue to date no one but her until she is finished with you. If you make her cry, I will make you cry.  
  
6.Do not lie to me. I may appear to be a nice harmless guy but in fact I am the all-knowing, merciless God of your universe. If I ask you where you are going and with whom, you have one chance to tell me the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I have a shotgun, a shovel, and a basement. Do not trifle with me.  
  
7. Be afraid. Be very afraid. It takes very little for me to mistake the sound of your car in the driveway for a chopper coming in over a rice paddy near Hanoi. When my Agent Orange starts acting up, the voices in my head frequently tell me to clean the guns as I wait for you to bring Caoimhe home. As soon as you pull into the driveways you should exit the car with both hands in plain sight. Speak the perimeter password, announce in a clear voice that you have brought my daughter home safely and early, then return to your car - there is no need for you to come inside. The camouflaged face at the window is mine. Do you understand?'  
  
'Yessir.' Kyle replied looking terrified and glanced nervously at his watch. 'If you are bored while waiting for Caoimhe to come downstairs, why don't you go and change the oil on my car?' Angel began to shine his sword. Gunn buried his head in his hands and tried not to laugh. This stuff was classic, where had Angel gotten it? Caoimhe walked down the stairs slowly, taking care not to fall flat on her face. 'Hey Kyle you ready to go?' 'Sure. Bye Mr. Angel Sir' he backed out the door slowly. 'Bye I'll see you later.' Caoimhe looked around suspiciously they were up to something.  
  
As soon as she left Gunn fell onto the floor rolling around laughing. 'Where did you get that stuff?' 'Cordelia got it in an e-mail from Willow. I scared him didn't I?' 'Yeah man he was terrified, he won't be trying out anything on Caoimhe tonight.' ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^  
  
'What do you do to Kyle?' Caoimhe came back from the party raving mad. 'Nothing you can't prove nothing.' Angel mumbled in his sleep, he was passed out on a chair in the lobby waiting for her to get in. 'Yes I can you told him that you'd hurt him and kill him and I'm so going to tell Cordelia on you! She's going to kill you. I finally get a date with the captain of the football team and you have to try and screw it up! She'll so take my side.' 'Wait! Wait!' Angel called after her after she went storming up the stairs. 'Don't tell her and I'll apologise to him!' if she told Cordelia, he thought, then Cordelia would be mad and an angry Cordy didn't make a nice room mate. 'Fine you say sorry when he comes over tomorrow night to take me to the movies. And you can pay!' 'Okay just please don't tell Cordy!' *********************************************************** Review if you want more. 


	5. 5

Author note: sorry it's been a while but I had a very good Christmas so my writing took place in the short period of the day after I got over a hangover and before I started getting ready to go out again! But thank you guys so much for the reviews! And as a treat here's two chapters, of course if you don't like them then review and tell me, and of course if you want to be different and mean don't bother and just read and run! Either way I don't mind because I like writing. Okay I think I've babbled for long enough so on with the story and a very happy new year to everyone!  
  
*********************************************************** 'Why do we have to go again?' whined Conor.  
  
'Because we need to do things as a family.' Answered Cordelia as she put on her coat.  
  
'Then why do me and Fred have to go?' asked Gunn, he was with Conor on this he didn't want to go out tonight.  
  
'Because if you don't I'll have Angel beat you up. Now stop complaining I thought you liked football.' Cordelia checked her watch.  
  
'I do but it's raining outside and I can watch football on the television.' His voice took on Conor's whining quality.  
  
'You can't watch Caoimhe cheer on the TV though..ANGEL!!! FRED!!! We're leaving this instant down here now. Chop chop.' Cordelia yelled up the stairs as she grabbed the car keys and shooed Conor and Gunn out the door.  
  
They ran down the stairs. They were meeting Caoimhe at the game because she had to warm up.  
  
******************At the game.*******************  
  
Angel hated crowded places especially when they were all laughing and joking. It disorientated him. Cordelia grabbed his hand and pulled him towards their seats. He scanned the field for any sign of Caoimhe. He was getting fond of her but still the responsibility of caring for here was tough. Cordelia just treated her as a normal teenage girl but Angel didn't have that luxury. He knew what could happen to her if he let his guard down and something happened. Caoimhe didn't even know half of what she was to become yet and he didn't really want to be the one to break the news to her. Still for tonight he was here to watch her cheerlead.  
  
Cordelia couldn't wait for the game to start, the last time she'd been to one was the last game she had cheered for in Sunnydale. She had changed so much since then but still loved the memories of being the queen of the school. She had been helping Caoimhe out with her cheers and wanted to see if all they're work paid off. She looked over at Angel who stared intently at the field. Probably making sure that Caoimhe wasn't taking to any guys, she thought with a smile, he was so over protective of her.  
  
Conor sat low in his seat and pulled the collar of his jacket up so that no one would recognise him. It wouldn't do his reputation any favours to be seen at one of these school team spirit games. He looked at his watch, he was going to meet up with some guys at a friend's house to discuss starting a band. Music was something that came easily to him. Playing the drums was just using all the rhythms that he used for fighting and he enjoyed it. He could slip away after the first cheer and say he had to go to bathroom and then followed a demon or something. He knew he could convince them.  
  
Gunn had cheered up considerably since he discovered that the game had hotdogs. He watched Fred tuck in to her fourth in a row. He loved her so much. He sighed if it wasn't for this game they could be alone some where. He hadn't really taken to Caoimhe but they could get along okay. Gunn found her a little standoffish but he knew that Fred had taken a shine to her and thus he was extra nice to the girl.  
  
Caoimhe looked up in to the crowd as she warmed up and saw the gang from the hotel up there, all waiting expectantly to see her. 'Okay' she called the other cheerleaders over 'We're on and you guys had better be good my family are up there watching!' she led them out onto the field waving her pompoms in the air. As they all lined up she saw Cordelia jump up and start cheering and waving her arms wildly in the air. Caoimhe led the cheer 'Be aggressive, B-E aggressive, B-E - A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E. Be aggressive, B-E aggressive, B-E - A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E. Be aggressive, B-E aggressive, B-E - A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E. GO! FIGHT! GO! FIGHT! GO! FIGHT!' They all started to cheer loudly and kick their legs up on the air.  
  
Angel watched in amazement as Caoimhe threw up herself into the splits and kicked her legs high above her head. She'd never put that much effort into training. Cordelia was so proud of her she looked like a proper captain of the cheerleading squad. Fred and Gunn just kept cheering loudly. Conor was bored. He'd seen the cheerleading squad practise a load of times. He checked his watch again and whispered to Fred that he was going to the bathroom and headed for Chris's house. Time for this kid to fly.  
  
He walked casually to towards the bathrooms and then doubled back and headed out of the stadium, masked by the crowd milling around him. The cool night air was a shock to his skin compared to the heat of the crowd inside at the game. He began to jog lightly over to Chris's house.  
  
When he reached the house his ran his fingers through his hair and straightened up his clothes. Chris answered the door almost immediately. 'Hey man, glad you could make it' he greeted Conor warmly. He led Conor to his room 'Mark and Jack are already here. This is so cool man all the chicks will be after us when we're in a band.....'  
  
*********************At the Hotel.**************************  
  
Angel paced back and forth in the lobby. He was antsy 'I cannot believe he left. I'm so mad at him this was supposed to be a family thing.' He fumed. 'Sit down you'll wear a hole in the marble.' Cordelia was sitting on the sofa drinking a cup of coffee. 'Besides you'll need to be rested when he turns up otherwise you won't be able to yell at him as much as you're supposed to.' She smiled over the rim of her cup. Angel collapsed on the sofa beside her. 'He is so so so dead.' He said before falling in to silence, plotting his son's punishment.  
  
Conor opened the door gently, it was almost three am but after Chris's house they had all gone to a club to see a band. He couldn't leave, it would have been impolite. Plus this was the first time he'd really had fun out with his peers. He saw his dad and Cordy asleep on the sofa and he tip toed past them up the stairs to the landing where his and Caoimhe's rooms were. He knocked gently on her door. He needed to know how much trouble he was in.  
  
Caoimhe was sprawled out on her bed sound asleep when he peeked in her door. He walked inside and shut the door with a soft click. 'Caoi' he called her, flicking on her light as he spoke. 'Caoi wake up!' he went over and shook her shoulder. 'What you want?' she mumbled burying her head inside her quilt, trying to avoid the glare of the light. He sat on the ground beside her bed 'How much trouble am I in?' he inquired. 'Tons, they're mega pissy that you abandoned the family activity. Now go away I wanna go to sleep.' 'When did they fall asleep downstairs?' he asked 'About ten, they were sound when I came up to bed.' 'Maybe I can convince them I was in before eleven, at least then I won't have broken curfew.' Conor mused. Caoimhe grunted in response already half asleep. Conor stood and went to leave her room, on his way out picking up her pom poms and putting them on her dresser and flicking off her light. 'Night Caoi.'  
  
******************The next morning*************************  
  
'What the hell were you thinking? Running off like that without a bye or leave? You could have been lying dead in a drain for all we knew. And the fact that you didn't even wait and see Caoimhe doing her cheerleading that she has been working so hard at.' Angel ranted the next morning when Conor came down for breakfast.  
  
Conor kept his head down and looked apologetic. 'I'm sorry dad but I saw this vamp attacking this girl and then she was pretty weak so I had to take her to the hospital and I would have rang but I had no money on me and I was in before eleven but you and Cordy were already asleep. I didn't want to wake you, you two looked so peaceful.' Conor recited his practised speech.  
  
'What was the girl's name?' inquired Angel. 'Mary Powers.' The lie slid easily off his tongue he didn't even have to think about it. Angel looked at him hard and called Cordy 'Sweetie will you ring the hospital and check if there was a Mary Powers admitted last night?' 'What hospital?' asked Cordelia. 'What hospital was it Conor?' inquired Angel.  
  
Oh crap, Conor thought, please let me be lucky. 'Mercy hospital.' He answered, with his fingers crossed. Why couldn't his father just trust him? Cordelia's face when she came back from the phone confirmed he'd been caught out. 'I cannot believe that you tried to lie to us!' she exclaimed. 'You two knew?' he was quite indignant. Why had they tried to trick him?  
  
'Of course we knew we did check your room you know and we wanted to see if you'd tell us the truth.' Angel stood in front of Conor 'Now this is your last chance what happened you last night?' 'I went to a friend's place for a while and then we all went to a club.' Conor sat down defeated ' I thought you guys wanted me to make friends? Wasn't that the whole point of making me go to school? So that I could learn social skills?' 'Yes but you shouldn't have just left like that maybe if you had explained to us then-' Conor cut off his father. 'You would not have just let me go you even made Fred and Gunn go last night and they only work for you!' Conor jumped up, fighting his corner. The two men stood there staring each other down.  
  
Caoimhe came down the stairs yawning 'Will you two shut up! I want to sleep! Angel, I don't really mind that Conor missed my routine he can come to the game next week. See all sorted now I'm going back to bed so shut the hell up!' 


	6. 6

*****************One month later***************************  
  
Conor's band was practising in the room that Cordy had finish doing up. They had constructed a make shift stage and everything. The only problem was that there playing was a little make shift. With Conor on drums, Chris on bass guitar, Mark on keyboard and Jack on lead guitar and vocals things weren't going too well. 'YOU GUYS SUCK!' Caoimhe yelled in at them as she passed on her way to her room ( a very roundabout way since her room was on the floor below the practise room.) 'WELL YOU HAVE A UNIBROW!' Conor yelled back, this was a daily occurrence.  
  
'She's right, dude, we suck' Chris put down his guitar and sat on the floor. 'well maybe with a bit more practice..' Jack trailed off they had been practicing for almost a month with no improvement. 'We could try changing our line up?' Mark suggested 'I'm not saying that you're a bad singer Jack but maybe if we got some one new in they'd inspire us.' 'You don't have to be nice Mark I know that my singing sucks. Let's hold auditions. Everyone else nodded.  
  
*********************************************************** Conor threw himself onto his bed. They'd held auditions and before that he hadn't known that there were so many untalented megalomaniacs in the world never mind in his school. He was sick of it all he wanted was someone who could hold a note and not take themselves too seriously. Maybe they should just quit at all this.  
  
***********************************************************  
  
Caoimhe was bored. All day people had streamed through the hotel auditioning for Conor's band. She didn't think more than five people would show up but then again this was L.A and being in a band, even a nameless one, was the new thing. She wandered into the practice room and began playing with a guitar. Her mother had taught her how to play it when she was a kid. She strummed softly and sang "Hanging on here until I'm gone right where I belong right just hanging on even though I watched you come and go how was I to know you'd steal the show? One day I'll have enough to give you more I'll wait to hear your final call bet it all" Conor stood and looked at her from the doorway she could sing! He was shocked she'd never even said and she'd known that they were looking for a singer. He grabbed the camcorder they'd been using to keep track of the people who auditioned and turned it on leaving it to record Caoimhe, while he slipped out hoping that she hadn't noticed. ***********************************************************  
  
The next day Conor's unnamed band watched Caoimhe singing and playing. 'Okay we have to get her to join us!' exclaimed Jack 'She's excellent even if she is a cheerleader.' 'Plus she's so popular that'll help us get gigs' pointed out Chris, ever the pragmatist. They all gathered around her door and knocked.  
  
She answered while talking on the phone. 'Hang on a sec Kyle---What do you guys want?' she inquired. They all dropped to their knees and started begging. 'Please join our band! We really need a singer and you rock! We'll give you stuff! We can practice whenever it suits you! Pleeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaassssssseeeeeee!' all of there begging overlapped. 'You guys have never even heard me sing. How would you have?' She asked suspicious. 'I left on the camcorder last night by accident and we saw you on tape.' Conor explained emphasising the accident, he knew that she'd get mad if she thought that he was spying on her. ' I don't know wait a minute----Kyle honey can I call you back later?..sure about eightish?...love you too, bye.' She put down the phone. 'Why would I want to join your loser band?' she asked. 'Because without you we'll suck forever?' responded Mark, Conor had told them to appeal to her ego. 'Because you are the most beautiful lead singer we could ever hope to get?' added in Chris. 'Because it'll be fun?' piped Jack. 'Because we're begging? We could even have a trial period where you can leave if you don't like it.' Conor suggested 'Come on Caoi just give it a try.' 'Okay you have an hour in which to impress me with your playing then I'll decide whether or not to even give you the trial period.' She answered, kind of flattered at all of their praise and she did enjoy singing..  
  
*********************************************************** Okay you all know how to hit the review button! 


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